


We don't choose who we (don't) love

by Queenofthebees



Series: A-Z tropes [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Marriage Contracts, Marriage pacts, Platonic Relationships, and there a couple of times they acknowledge that they'd do the dirty with each other, but this is still important to set the groundworks for the angsty sequel :p, in this part 1 anyway, part 2 will have romance and smut, so the romantic tag is here anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-10-25 02:45:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17716565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenofthebees/pseuds/Queenofthebees
Summary: “You know what,” Sansa said suddenly, putting her glass down. “We should marry each other.”Jon’s glass paused halfway to his mouth and he was sure his eyebrows had disappeared into his hair. “You what?”“I mean…I’m twenty six. Time is getting on, you know?”“Sorry, can you skip to the bit where you repeat what you just said?”“So, I’m thinking,” she continued as though he hadn’t spoken, leaning back in her seat and regarding him seriously. “I need a back-up.”Jon laughed and shook his head because she couldn’t possibly be serious. But as he turned to her again, his smile died as he was met with her piercing stare.“You’re serious?”Or the one where friends Jon and Sansa agree to marry each other at 30 if they're both single to save them from a lonely life. It wouldn't be love, neither of them expected that from the other. But the friendship would make it easier to pretend to everyone else at least.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dena1984](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Dena1984).



> My 300th fic, as requested by Dena1984 on tumblr. And conveniently stating off the new project - A-Z tropes!

Sansa’s annoyed scream broke the peaceful atmosphere of the Stark household on an otherwise quiet and calm Sunday morning.

Ned had been napping on the armchair, head propped on his chest and glasses down his nose with the paper he had been reading close to falling off his knees in his slackened grasp. He jolted awake at the sound, blinking with bewilderment.

Catelyn had already rushed through towards the front door in a blur of red hair and blue skirt seconds after it was slammed shut with so much force Jon was amazed at the fact the ceiling hadn’t come down.

Robb exchanged a perplexed look with him before hesitantly getting off the sofa to investigate. Jon could hear footsteps on the stairs, indicating Sansa’s younger siblings had also been curious about the noise.

“I am _done_!” Sansa huffed, storming into the room, barely missing Robb with the door, seemingly unaware he was even there.

“Sansa, honey,” Catelyn cooed, reaching for her daughter with soothing hands.

“Like who does he think he is?” Sansa seethed, looking around the room at them all. “It took him three years to figure out that he doesn’t want to marry me? And that he doesn’t want kids? He should have told me that at the start!”

“Ah,” Robb muttered, realisation dawning on him that Sansa and Trystan had gone their separate ways. “I’m sorry Sans.”

“Sometimes, people do think they will change their minds,” Catelyn said, finally close enough to throw a comforting arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “I know you’re hurting now, but I don’t think he meant to hurt you. Maybe he thought you would change your mind on it too?”

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” Sansa growled.

“I am,” Catelyn assured her with a tiny smile. “Look, you’re young and beautiful my darling. Somebody will marry you someday.”

“It seems that nobody wants to get married these days,” she sighed.

“I do,” Jon blurted, surprised at his own outburst. He felt his cheeks warm when all eyes turned towards him in surprise. “Sorry. I mean, I get it. If you don’t want the same things, the relationship isn’t going to work right? Shared values, dreams and stuff…you know…” he trailed off as they continued to stare and he ended up looking down at his knees instead.

 “It will be fine Sans,” Robb promised. “You’re only twenty-four.”

“Exactly!” Sansa huffed, flopping down on the sofa beside Jon. “I thought I’d be married by now! I don’t want to be alone forever!”

“You won’t be alone forever,” Catelyn assured her, running a hand through her daughter’s hair.

***

Jon loved how welcoming the Starks had always been with him. Even when he turned eighteen and went off to university with Robb, Ned and Catelyn had insisted he came back when Robb did and stay over like old times.

Even now, in his late twenties, he still kept the tradition of going for his Sunday dinners with them. Although, it still felt strange not coming with Ygritte, even though they had been broken up for weeks now. He just wished they had talked more about what they really wanted. It would have saved a lot of heartache.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t really registered that he had reached the Stark’s house just as Sansa’s car pulled up in the drive.

“Hey,” she greeted as she elegantly slipped out of the car. Jon had to admit, he was rather jealous of how Sansa always looked incredible without ever really needing to make an effort. Her confidence was endearing and it made him wonder why she still hadn’t found the right person to settle down with.

“Hows things?” he asked, waiting for her to reach his side before opening the door.

“I had the worst date in history yesterday so, uh…I’m a bit late today because I drowned my sorrows last night and wasn’t sure I’d be fit to drive anytime before lunch.”

Jon made a sharp hissing sound through his teeth. “God, I can relate. I haven’t braved the dating world again yet.”

Sansa lay a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, making Jon pause in the middle of taking his jacket off.

“You’ll find someone Jon,” she told him, her blue eyes shining in earnest. “You’re such a good guy.”

“Thanks,” he replied, returning to shrugging his jacket off as she withdrew her hand and moved to unwrap her scarf. “You’ll find someone too.”

She smiled, though it didn’t quite meet her eyes and Jon watched as she ducked her eyes. It really was a shame, he thought sadly, that a romantic like Sansa was slowly starting to doubt if any of her dreams about a big white wedding and kids would ever come true. But then, he thought, hadn’t he also given up after he and Ygritte had parted ways?

At that moment, Arya’s head leaned out of the living room doorway to look at them both. “Hurry up. We’re starving in here!”

“Alright, alright!” Jon huffed, turning an annoyed glare Arya’s way. She was, of course, unfazed at his look, merely raising her eyebrows in challenge, as though daring him to keep her waiting another second.

Sansa perched herself on the edge of the sofa beside him as Robb thrust champagne glasses under their nose.

“Jeyne and I are engaged!” he blurted, not even a second after Jon’s fingers had closed around the stem of the glass.

“Robb!” Jeyne laughed, appearing at his side. “You promised to be calm!”

Robb grinned and threw his shoulders up in a cheeky shrug which had Jeyne laughing again and nuzzling into his shoulder. For a second, they looked at each other as though they were the only two people in the room. Jon swallowed down the bitter part of him that thought that he would at least be engaged, if not married by now.

“Congratulations!” Ned called out. Jon cleared his throat and managed to smile, remembering that Robb’s happiness was the most important thing right now.

He had plenty of time to find love.

***

“You wanna dance?”

Sansa tilted her head to look at Jon through her bangs, arching a suspicious eyebrow. “You hate dancing.”

“Well, yeah,” Jon agreed, shrugging. “But, uh…I don’t think I’d be great company sitting here.”

“You’re not so bad,” she replied with a small smile. She reached for her drink and held it up towards him. “Thanks for being my plus one.”

“And you!” he returned, chinking his glass with hers.

In the months leading to Robb and Jeyne’s wedding, both of them had been getting endless questions about who they would bring as their plus ones. But he had sworn off dating after his last disastrous experience, where the woman was a little too obsessed with her geckos for his liking. And when it turned out that Sansa had also decided to quit the dating scene, they had decided to just be each other’s. At least it meant they were seated together rather than with strangers, so they could get through their confusion of happiness, jealousy and misery together.

“You know what,” Sansa said suddenly, putting her glass down. “We should marry each other.”

Jon’s glass paused halfway to his mouth and he was sure his eyebrows had disappeared into his hair. “You what?”

“I mean…I’m twenty six. Time is getting on, you know?”

“Sorry, can you skip to the bit where you repeat what you just said?”

“So, I’m thinking,” she continued as though he hadn’t spoken, leaning back in her seat and regarding him seriously. “I need a back-up.”

Jon laughed and shook his head because she couldn’t possibly be serious. But as he turned to her again, his smile died as he was met with her piercing stare.

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged before leaning over to him. “Why not?”

“Because I’d rather _he_ -“ He pointed to where Robb was twirling Jeyne on the dancefloor, “didn’t try and castrate me.”

Sansa scoffed, shooting a look towards Robb too. Her smile was full of that sad acceptance, the happiness for her brother and friend warring with her own dreams being shattered. And, for a moment, Jon believed the subject was dropped.

“Look,” she sighed, turning towards him again. “We like each other, I trust you. And, well…” She blushed, lowering her eyes shyly. “Anyway.” She cleared her throat and raised her eyes, although she was looking over his shoulder rather than at him. “I think we should agree that if we’re not married by the time we’re thirty, we marry each other.”

Jon stared at her for a long moment, until her eyes met his again. She was serious, he realised. And he knew her well enough to humour her for now.

“Fine,” Jon agreed, raising his glass when she raised her own and clinking them together in their own little binding contract.

It was fine, he told himself. Because Sansa would find somebody by the time she was thirty and they could laugh about the fact they had even entertained the idea of marrying each other.


	2. Chapter 2

Jon groaned at the repeated thundering of his phone vibrating against the wooden cabinet by his bed. Blindly, he stretched a hand out of his covers and fumbled about the desk until he felt the damn thing humming in his hands.

Rolling onto his back with another pathetic groan, he blinked at the sudden assault of light that attached his eyes as he swiped the message open.

_I need a favour!_

He chuckled at Sansa’s message, the fact she was always so assertive with him, as though she knew he would do whatever she asked (the fact he did wasn’t the point!) amused him.

_You aren’t in prison, are you?_

_No. Jeez, Jon I only almost got arrested ffs!_

_Shouldn’t have been a question really. Joffrey has no balls so you couldn’t have kicked him in them, ergo, you didn’t assault him._

_: ) Cheers pal._

_ANYWAY_

_Favour!_

_Since we’re friends and all!_

_Ask away, my lady!_

_Margaery is getting married and I need a plus one. I would go solo but…I want to prove a point to Harry, who is going with Myranda._

_No problem. Just send me the date._

_You’re the best Jon!_

He certainly didn’t feel like the best with the hangover he was suffering from right now.  He shouldn’t have let Theon talk him into going out. He certainly shouldn’t have let Theon talk him into taking the red-headed barmaid home.

Thankfully, Ros had left and Jon made a mental note to never set foot inside the Wintertown Arms again. Especially since Theon would do everything he possibly could to make it awkward.

He wasn’t usually one for one-night stands. But for weeks he had been feeling so lonely and dejected with the fact that he still hadn’t found a woman to settle down with that he had given in to the temptation of warm arms and rumpled sheets.

Some day, he thought longingly. Some day he would find the woman he wanted to marry.

***

"You're improving."

Jon snorted at Sansa's praise, deciding to ignore her and raise his arm to lead her into a twirl instead. Her dress fluttered around her knees, her laugh loud in his ear and more pleasing than the current pop number being blasted across the dance floor.

"Had to learn someday," he retorted. "You know, for my wedding."

Sansa raised her eyebrows. "You remembered?"

"Hmm?" Jon blinked in confusion before understanding flooded him. " Oh, our deal?" He laughed and shook his head.

"Would it be so terrible?" she asked, frowning slightly as she placed her hands on his shoulder, her head tilted to the side and an insulted pout beginning to form. "Being married to me?"

"No," he stated quickly. honestly. "I told you before though. There is no way you're going to be single when you're thirty!"

Her lips parted to respond when a high-pitched laugh caught her attention. Jon copied Sansa's movement and looked to the side where Harrold Hardying was whispering in Myranda's ear, his hand practically up her skirt. He felt Sansa tense in his arms, her chest rising with a deep calming breath before she turned to face him again with a beaming smile.

Jon barely had time to blink before she was leaning in, her breath tickling his ear and causing heated desire to shoot through his veins, the sensation shocking him. And for a brief second, he thought of good it would be to feel her lips against his own, eager to swallow her soft sighs of pleasure and watch her eyes turn dark with lust.

"You look very handsome tonight," she whispered and Jon barely bit back a groan.

Then, she was gone, shooting him a wink as she murmured that she was going to the bar. Jon nodded, drifting off towards their table, his eyes catching Harry's as he passed. The blonde merely raised his eyebrows as Jon glared at him and threw himself into his seat.

"You deserve better than him," Jon grumbled when Sansa returned with their drinks. 

"Hmm?" she responded, her brow creasing in confusion. "Oh, I don't want Harry anymore. I'm just annoyed he's flaunting her here, as if he hadn't done anything wrong."

"I just...who cheats anyway? And on a woman like you as well?" Jon grumbled, shaking his head as he cast another glare towards Harry. Sansa shrugged.

"Some guy who doesn't realise what he had," she commented, sliding gracefully into the seat beside him. Jon grunted and leaned back in his chair to observe the dance floor curiously. Sansa toyed with the table cloth. "Jon?"

"Yeah?"

"I think...I wouldn't mind being married to you, you know."

Jon sighed, rolling his head lazily to look at her  "Come on Sansa. You don't have to settle."

"You're a good man," she reasoned. "Handsome, kind, sweet. I could be happy with you."

"I mean, sure. It would be nice to have someone to cuddle with or to treat on a night out and stuff. But, I mean, what about kids?"

Sansa licked her lips, her cheeks turning as pink as a sweet summer rose. "Well...I wouldn't kick you out of bed."

Jon snorted in disbelief, straightening in his chair. "You're serious? Fucking hell, you're serious!"

She blinked. "Well, yeah. I always was!"

"Jesus," Jon muttered, pressing his hands against his eyes and shaking his head again. "Just...let me...you actually want to give up your chances of finding love at thirty and spend the rest of your life with me?" he spluttered, dropping his hands.

"I mean, what are my options?" she reasoned, spreading her arms wide. "I don't want to be alone. Like you said, I want somebody to be there. Just to come home to and speak about my day, somebody to do stuff with and cuddle with. And, we're friends right? You make me laugh and I trust you. Don't you want something like that?

Jon pursed his lips, ready for the rebuttal. But she was right. What were the options? More nights with Ros or someone else. A few hours of fun followed by days of regret and sadness for once again letting himself fall into the trap. He doesn't want that life, one night stands just to feel needed. It has never been his style but desperate times had made him desperate himself. At least with Sansa, he wouldn't be lonely every day.

"Alright," he agreed, giving her a brief nod. "I agree."

 


	3. Chapter 3

"I didn't even know you guys were dating," Robb commented slowly, frowning between the pair of them.

Jon shifted awkwardly in his seat while Sansa, as usual, remained calm and collected, an easy reply falling from her.

"We wanted to keep it quiet for a while, just in case." She shrugged and turned to shoot Jon a dazzling smile, her eyelashes fluttering sweetly. "But, we're happy, aren't we love?"

"Of course," Jon added, reaching over to take her hand and offering her a gentle smile. "I know you're likely upset but..."

"No," Robb stated slowly, leaning back against the booth of the chair with a disinterested shrug. "I actually thought about setting you two up before. I just thought you might not have such feelings towards each other. But, I'm happy for you both. Even, if it is rather fast."

"People have gotten married after a fortnight of first meeting someone," Sansa countered. "Jon and I can't wait to get married."

Jon wondered if anyone had noticed yet that they always talked about how happy they were to get married but that neither of them said that they were in love.

***

"What kind of flowers should we have? I like white roses most but they might be rather washed out with my dress," Sansa mused, tapping her pen thoughtfully against her mouth. "There are pink ones. Oh! What about blue ones? Your mother liked them, didn't she?"

Jon paused from where he was washing up the dishes and glanced at her over his shoulder. "You don't have to do that for me, Sansa. You do whatever you want to do."

"It's your wedding too Jon," she reminded him. "It should be about you as well."

Jon shrugged. "If you really don't mind then, yeah, I'd like the blue ones."

Sansa hummed in acknowledgement as she made a note of the flowers. "Would we be able to get some more of my things moved today?"

"Of course," he said, wiping his hands on the towel and folding it neatly over the drying rack. "We can go now if you like. And I can take you to see that film you've been wanting to see for ages."

"You would willingly see a chick-flick movie with me?" she responded, eyebrows raising in surprise.

Jon grinned. "Well, you're going to be cooking for me soon enough so I've gotta keep you happy, haven't I?"

"Oh, you!" she huffed, chucking the pen at him as she tried to stop herself from laughing, her shoulders shaking from the effort. "You should know by now that I can't cook anything!"

"Damn, I forgot about that. Guess we can't get married after all."

"Fuck off," she snorted and causing Jon to laugh.

"And I thought I was marrying a sophisticated young lady. I feel lied to in this agreement!"

"Yeah, well, you..." she started, scrunching her nose in thought. "Well, you never told me I had competition!"

Jon blinked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. For all that their marriage was false, he hoped that Sansa knew that he would be faithful to her. "What?"

"You love your hair more than me!" she chirped, smirking victoriously.

"Ah, jealous of my gorgeous locks sweetheart?" he teased. "You can share my conditioner now, since we're going to be married and all."

"I knew there was a good reason I was fake marrying you, darling!"

***

Sansa may not be a very good cook but she could bake, and more often than not it tasted better than anything Jon got from the bakery. 

He loved coming back from the football matches at the weekend to the smell of cinnamon or ginger or lemons. Sansa would greet him with a wide smile, sometimes flour would be on her cheeks and in her hair but she was too damn happy to care and Jon found it rather endearing when he would point it out and she would attempt to rub the mark off only to smear more across her face.

They would enjoy their sweet treats over a coffee, the only coffee Sansa would have before she would switch to tea for the remainder of the day, and chat about their plans for the upcoming week. Sometimes, Sansa would go out with Margaery for a girls night out on Saturdays, or sometimes would meet up with her mother for shopping and dinner. Jon often went to the football with Robb and out for a couple of pints with his co-workers. But sometimes, as was the case on this day, neither had plans with anyone else and instead, they would often curl up on the sofa with a movie, taking turns to choose. Or, sometimes, they would treat themselves to dinner and a movie.

He had thought that the closer the wedding got, the more he would freak out about it. He had thought he would envitably start to back out of the plan because it had seemed so bizarre when they first started planning it. He had never thought he would be able to lie about their relationship, couldn't see how they could make it work without making each other miserable. But Jon had to admit that spending a lifetime with Sansa wasn't so bad. She was funny in a sharp-witted sort of way, which Jon appreciated. And they had a lot of stuff in common that Jon didn't really see how it would be so bad over the years. 

So, they didn't love each other in the traditionally sense. They loved each other as friends and that was important too. They'd still be as happy and respectful with each other as any real married couple, he reasoned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a sequel eventually which will explore them falling in love with each other and angst at thinking their feelings are unrequited


End file.
